Sparta: Uncultured Discipline

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times Sparta had been a important city, but after Dorian
conquest it sank to insignificance. Over the next three hundred years it
recovered and began to prosper. By 800 B.C it ruled over the region called
Lacedonia.

Up to about 650 B.C Sparta was pretty much like every other Greek state.
They had music, art and poetry. During the seventh century, a musician named
Terpander came to Sparta and established himself their. He is called the "father
of Greek music," he's also supposed to off improved the lyre (a harp like
instrument). The most widely known Spartan musician was Tyrtaeus. He lived
during the Second Messenian War and his music inspired many Spartan soldiers to
new heights of bravery (Isaac Asimov, 1965, p. 53).

But then something happened, a war with the Messinians. The First
Messenian War broke out in 730 B.C, when the Spartans marched into Messenia
eager for more land. After 20 long years of war the Messenians were forced to
surrender. They were made into helots ...

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their shield or on them" (V.M Hillyer, E.G Huey, 1966, p. 27)

One of the functions of the Spartan system was to rid the state of
weaklings. At birth each child was inspected by a board of inspectors. If the
child was feeble or deformed it was left on a hill side to die. Spartan women
were told to exercise and keep in shape so that they could have healthy
offspring.

A true Spartan's purpose in life was war, their entire lives were
centered around it. They left agriculture, manufacturing to their slave/workers,
the helots. As a result their culture suffered, it was almost non-existent. For
example after 600 B.C the import of luxury goods such as ivory or spices ...

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